Our educated guess is that Dr. Theodore Thaddeus Dominic O’Kelly came to Guatemala around 1696. He might be a surgeon from the ranks of the Jacobite Army that fought in Aughrim. According to his account, he was an Ulsterman born in Loughgall (County Armagh) around 1658.

In…

Matchmaking and Lisdoonvarna are two things that naturally go together ... like strawberries and cream.

If love is what you are looking for (or even just a fun time with other singles), then you cannot miss the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival.  So, get on your dancing shoes,…

Duckett’s Grove Walled Gardens and Pleasure Grounds, Duckett’s Grove, Carlow

Duckett’s Grove, the…

I came across this old election poster from the mid-1950's lately. I was born in 1956, so it resonated a bit. Political comparisons aside, I had totally forgotten how the 'old prices' were written and this poster, with it's comparison chart of commonly purchased items brought back floods of childhood memories to me.

For instance the 1954 price tag of 2/4 for Cigarettes…

My apologies to William Shakespeare who never had to make that decision.

When vacationing in Ireland is it best to hire a car, utilize public transportation or join an organized tour? The ability to come…

The  following is a transcript from the LIVE Community Chat held here at TheWildGeese.com on Friday, June 13, 2014 with with Michael Regan-Waugh of…

Old Irish Newspaper Abstracts:

We tend to forget the things that so many people have done, especially in this day and age of advanced technology. Many of you don’t remember the days when the Irish Census returns were not on the internet, many of you don’t know about the days when you had to go to the Irish Civil Records office to get the references for births, marriages and deaths. Today, we can get those references if they exist on the internet (for the most part). We all forget so…

Except for brief periods during and after times of war, passports were not required of U.S. citizens traveling outside of the country until 1941. Many Americans, however, obtained one for their own security. Passports were and still are issued by the Department of the State, and…

Ireland has recently received criticism for offering favorable tax rates to American companies who relocate there. The governor of California was particularly scathing. Other EEC countries see it as being unfair to them. Everyone concerned has a valid point but it is difficult right now for the Irish government to change its policy. The fake economic boom known as the Celtic…

Hi Gary & Ryan

I felt less than satisfied with my performance during last Friday's open chat. However, I believe I'll make up for it by sending the nine who joined the chat copies of my latest historical novel, "Irish in American Revolution"plus a copy of my book, "The Irish-American Chronicle," which introduces the entire Irish-American Story series.." Would you like the books sent to you for distribution or I'll need the mailing addresses of the nine to forward to Firstchoice, the…

When I woke to my first St. Patrick’s Day in Colombia, I grabbed my laptop before I’d even got out of bed and Skyped home. Through the magic of the Internet, I was suddenly transported to my parents’ dining room table. My mother and aunt, resplendent in green, with shamrocks pinned…

Breezy Point, N.Y. -- More than 100 individuals, a number likely to have doubled before the day ended, came to Breezy Point on Saturday to demonstrate the draw -- and drawing power -- of Gaelic sports worldwide.

The event, billed Gaelic Sports Day, was produced by Shannon Gaels Gaelic Football Club. The Gaels are the only Minor GAA club, serving…

Huntington Castle Gardens, Clonegal, Co. Carlow t: 053-9377160 w: www.huntingtoncastle.com

These gardens were mainly laid out in the seventeenth-century and include the French limes on the Avenue, the “parterre” or lawns to the side of the house, the fish ponds on either…

There are 12 months in a year, 12 inches in a foot, 12 signs of the Zodiac, and most multiplication tables go up to 12; and so one more of any of these would make 13. The modern day fear of 13 is based on Norse mythology: 12 gods were dining at Valhalla (where gods go when they…

John Mitchel as portrayed by Currier and Ives, who made a number of Irish prints to appeal to the Irish-American market.

DOMHNAIGH -- On June 8, 1853, John Mitchel escaped from…

Belfast Telgraph:  "Mass Grave of 796 Babies Found in Septic Tank at Catholic Orphanage in Tuam, Galway"



Irish Central: "…